Method in the manufacture of shirts, pajamas and the like of binding them for packing



p 1955 M. ANDERSSON 3,180,

METHOD IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SHIRTS, PAJAMAS AND THE LIKE OF BINDINGTHEM FOR PACKING Filed Dec. 26, 1962 United States Patent Ofiice3,186,543 Patented Apr. 27, 1965 METHOD IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SHIRTS,PAJAMAS AND THE LIKE F BINDING THEM FOR PACKING Lars Marten Andersson,Skovde, Sweden, assignor to AB Mellra, Goteborg, Sweden, a corporationof Sweden Filed Dec. 26, 1962, Ser. No. 247,105 Claims priority,application Sweden, Jan. 2?, 1962, 959/ 62 2 Claims. (Cl. 223-71) Inpacking shirts, pajamas and similar garment following up the manufacturethereof it is a conventional procedure to bind them in a suitably foldedcondition in which the lateral parts of the garment are turned inwardsand its lower part together with the inwardly turned lateral parts isturned upwards behind the upper part of the garment, a cardboard sheetor other stiffening member being usually inserted in the garment.Binding is usually performed by means of pins which are applied at agreat number of places. The pins applied result in a plurality ofinconveniences. If the garments are stored in damp air the pins whichusually consist of steel are likely to cause spots of rust and therebyto damage the farbic and also to scratch the fabric upon carelesshandling. Further, unpacking of the garment prior to the use thereof isan annoying procedure which often irritates the user. In order toeliminate this inconvenience, it has been proposed to draw a thread toand fro through the parts of the garment laid one upon another and totie up the ends of the threads such as to form a loop. Then a strongerthread has been drawn through the loop for pulling it in two when thefastening had to be released for using the garment. Even thisarrangement has proved in practice to result in inconveniences in theform of damages to the fabric. In addition, manual work is required fortying up the threads in connection with the binding operation.

The object of this invention is to avoid the above in conveniences. Inits broadest aspect the invention is characterized by forcing a pointedpin having a head through the upper part of the garment and through theinwardly turned lateral parts and the upwardly turned lower part at aplace where all of said parts are lying one upon another, and thenlooking the pin detachably on the opposite side so as to keep thegarment in folded condition by means of said pin. The pin may be lockedby bending, during or after the piercing, the pointed end thereof beingmade from a bendable material so that the fastening can be releasedmerely by withdrawing the pin while the bent pointed end thereof isstraightened. Consequently, it is very simple to assemble anddisassemble the various parts of the garment, and disassembling can beperformed by a single movement of the hand. Contrary to expectation ithas proved that the straight pin can be forced through the garment andthat the pin having a bent pointed end can be withdrawn from the garmentwhile the pointed end is straightened Without damaging the garment inany way whatever or leaving marks from the pin, provided that the pin isnarrow and pointed and suitably deformable so as readily to bestraightened. Advantageously, the pin is forced through at a place wheresome part of the inserted cardboard sheet, frame or the like usuallysupplied during the packing operation is situated, since withdrawal ofthe pin is facilitated thereby. The pin may be locked in its positionfor binding the garment by bending the pointed end such as to bedirected inwards toward the garment, whereby to prevent the point of thepin from getting caught in adjacent articles.

Instead of bending the pointed end of the pin for locking the pin in thebinding position the pointed end of the pin may be straight and forced,after penetration through the garment, into a locking member on the rearside of the garment, said locking member being adapted frictionally toengage the pointed end to an extent such that the pin is retained inposition, the frictional engagement being however such that the pin iseasily withdrawable by hand.

In the accompanying drawing two embodiments of the invention are shownby way of example. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a shirt bound inaccordance with the invention and FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section ofthis shirt through the binding place. FIGS. 3 and 4 show the pin priorto and after the bending of the pointed end, whereas FIG. 5 illustratesan embodiment comprising a straight pin and a locking member.

In the condition illustrated in FIG. 1 where the lateral parts of theshirt are turned inward and the lower part 1 is turned upward behind thelateral parts, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a pin 2 having a head 3 ofplastic or similar material is passed through the shirt immediatelybelow the collar 4 thereof whereupon the pointed end 3' of the pin hasbeen bent at the back of the shirt so as to bind the shirt. The pinextends through the breast portion, the lateral portions and theupwardly turned lower portion of the shirt. Preferably, the pin, beforebeing forced through the shirt, can be passed through a strip 5 havingend flaps 6 or the like. This strip may serve as an ornament, but mayalso be used to facilitate withdrawal of the pin. As shown in FIG. 2 thepin is bent such that the pointed end is directed inwards toward thefabric.

When the shirt has to be used it is merely necessary to draw the pinupwards, and the pointed end will be automatically straightened if thepin is sufficiently thin and made from a suitably deformable material,such as a stainless metalalloy. In order to prevent damage to the fabricduring withdrawal of the pin and to facilitate straightening of thepointed end of the pin, it is suitable to pass the pin through the shirtat a place where some part of the insertion is present which usuallyconsists of a sheet of cardboard and is usually inserted into thegarment with the purpose of retaining the form of the garment duringpacking and obtaining a nice appearance.

Instead of bending the pin from the straight form shown in FIG. 3 to theform shown in FIG. 4 the point of the pin may be forced into a lockingmember 7 at the lower side of the garment, as illustrated in FIG. 5. Thelocking member is made from a material such as cork, wood, syntheticplastic or the like which causes suflicient friction and clamping actionto retain the looking member on the pointed end of the pin as long asthe garment is desired to be bound. Thereafter, when the pin iswithdrawn with sufiicient effort before the garment is used the pointedend will come loose from the locking member.

Application of the pin and eventual bending thereof may be carried outeither by machine or manually by means of a suitable tool.

What is claimed is:

l. A method in the manufacture of shirts, pajamas and similar garments,which comprises the steps of folding lateral parts of the garmentinwards into contact with a central part thereof, folding a lower partof the garment thus folded to lie behind the remainder of the foldedgarment, forcing a pointed pin having a head from one side of the foldedgarment through the upper part thereof and through the inwardly turnedlateral parts and the lower part folded behind the central part of thefolded garment at a place where all of said parts are lying in asuperimposed position, and then locking the pin detachably on theopposite side of the folded garment so as to keep the garment in thefolded condition by means of said pin, by bending the pointedend of thepinv as it is forced through the folded' garment from one sidethereof'until its point is directed toward the opposite side of thefolded'garment;

2. An article of manufacture comprising a garment andsingle pointfastening means keeping the garment in a folded state, said garmenthaving lateral parts folded into contact with a central part and a lowerpart folded to lie behind said central part, the fastening meanscomprising one single pin piercing all of said parts at the other sidethereof, the end portion of the pin adjacent to said point being benttogive the pin aJ -shaped configuration Withthe point directed toward andin contact with-said other side of the folded garment.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,478,107 8/49Kahn 223-41 2,684,188 7/ 54 Sturz 22s 71 2,889,971 6/59 Lundin 223-41JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner. DAVID J WILLIAMOWSKY, Examiner.

2. AN ARTICLE OF MANUFACTURE COMPRISING A GARMENT AND SINGLE POINTFASTENING MEANS KEEPING THE GARMENT IN A FOLDED STATE, SAID GARMENTHAVING LATERAL PARTS FOLDED INTO CONTACT WITH A CENTRAL PART AND A LOWERPART FOLDED TO LIE BEHIND SAID CENTRAL PART, THE FASTENING MEANSCOMPRISING ONE SINGLE PIN PIERCING ALL OF SAID PARTS OF THE CENTRAL LINEOF THE FOLDED GARMENT WHERE SAID PARTS ARE IN SUPERIMPOSED POSITION,SAID PIN BEING PROVIDED WITH